Voices: On reviving the mining industry
On reviving the mining industry
Posted 11:53pm (Mla time) Feb 24, 2005
INQ7.net
(INQ7.net editor's note: Below are selected, condensed postings of INQ7.net readers on the site's Talking Points section. For the full text of postings and to participate in the discussion, go to news.inq7.net/talkingpoints/)
I think the government should give more attention and push through with the real essence of sustainable development and fund more environmental projects instead of mining.
-- Lorenzo Jr. Cordova
* * *
Three things will materialize if mining is successful in the Philippines:
First is the revenue we will get directly from the revival of this vital resource. Second, since our country is doing something about the country's debt, our credit rating will go up. If our credit rating goes up, the interest rate we pay to service the debt will be much less.
Those dollars are enough to spend on infrastructure like schools, bridges, [and on] increased salaries [for] our teachers and public employees.
Third, there will be jobs for people who can handle a shovel and other skilled workers. The country wins threefold...
-- Mang Isko
* * *
I’m not into mining! The only one who will benefit this is Jose Pidal, not Juan de la Cruz.
--Arnaldo Batoon
* * *
Many countries prospered through their mining industry.
The mining industry, properly managed and regulated, will bring economic benefits to the Filipino people in general and to our country.
However, the culture of corruption in our country has endangered not only the environment but [also] our culture and mindset.
Corruption will endanger the mining industry and will bring immeasurable catastrophe to the environment and the Filipino people...
-- Benny C. Cenzon
* * *
How can the revitalization of the mining industry rescue our dying economy in concrete terms?
It is not enough to estimate our gains from the liberalization of the mining industry.
It is not fair [either] to allow other countries to take the lion’s share of our country’s wealth.
It is better if the government promotes and subsidizes the operations of local mining firms. In that case we are sure to head [down] the road to national industrialization and genuine economic restoration.
-- Nikki Rose Pili
* * *
Looking at the potential and magnitude of the resources, I believe we should revive the mining industry.
First, the one trillion US dollars is a gift from God which all of us need to … alleviate the poverty of our people. Not doing this is a total disregard of God's will.
Having said that, what we [must] do is develop a safe and reasonable mechanism, parallel with the exploitation of these resources, [to] ensure the protection of our environment. We also need to see to it that the government shares are protected … also of paramount importance.
-- Ben Guerra
* * *
There are two important end-results that drive the opposing sides of this debate about mining in our country.
Those in favor of mining will argue for the overall economic effect of the venture, thus saving this country from bankruptcy. Those who oppose it say it will not just ruin the landscape but also displace whole communities along its path, plus contribute to massive pollution and destruction of areas [with] high potential for tourism.
The economic benefits of mining are really meaningless unless the common "tao" sees the reward to himself and his family. Is it really worth destroying our natural environment for this? Is it really the solution to our large-scale poverty?
There are two countries in the world the Filipinos can look at and learn from their mining experience. These are the tiny Pacific Island nation of Nauru and Australia.
Nauru exploited its land and benefited immensely from the mining boom there for a short time. It became the richest country in the Pacific until their mineral deposits ran out and now they are almost bankrupt again and have almost nothing to show for it.
Their land is so severely stripped that it has become one of the world's worst environmental disaster areas. No amount of money can give them back their land. They can't even rely on tourism for income, as it's now an ugly land of bare soil with nothing on it. The only people who benefited are the corrupt politicians and foreign mining companies now looking for their next mining victims.
No doubt they will promise a lot but once the poor country's resources are gone, so will they ... [I]n Australia it's another story -- this is a big country with lots of mineral resources. This is one of the few countries in the world that continually benefits from large-scale mining and people are benefiting from this. Money from the taxes from mining companies goes to first-class roads, hospitals, world-class universities, etc.
Mining is one of the biggest export earners of Australia. Land here is also being stripped bare but this is a really big country with lots of desert land, which is almost useless but good for mining. One thing missing here is a corrupt system. This country is rich because of mining.
-- Archie Serafica
* * *
The real treasure of the Philippines -- the richness of our culture, the beauty of our indigenous people and the richness of our biodiversity -- has been rarely mentioned in the arguments for mining. If we put an economic value to what we already have, do you think it will not surpass the "possibilities" of mining?
The real problem lies in the fact that people in this country, whether indigenous or not, are not really valued and this is why we see this government even encouraging modern-day slavery in our Filipino entertainers, nurses, and teachers.
-- Cornel Bongco
* * *
In my honest opinion, mining is OK in the Philippines as long as politics will not or never comes in! One of the many reasons as to why investors are avoiding the Philippines is due to red tape and "dirty politics"!
-- Jun Arevalo
* * *
[T]he Supreme Court has spoken … it's high time we support the decision. Why allow a few selfish people to benefit from "underground" mining when there could be a lot of needy people? The issue now is the "greater proportion."
-- Monsi Serrano
Posted 11:53pm (Mla time) Feb 24, 2005
INQ7.net
(INQ7.net editor's note: Below are selected, condensed postings of INQ7.net readers on the site's Talking Points section. For the full text of postings and to participate in the discussion, go to news.inq7.net/talkingpoints/)
I think the government should give more attention and push through with the real essence of sustainable development and fund more environmental projects instead of mining.
-- Lorenzo Jr. Cordova
* * *
Three things will materialize if mining is successful in the Philippines:
First is the revenue we will get directly from the revival of this vital resource. Second, since our country is doing something about the country's debt, our credit rating will go up. If our credit rating goes up, the interest rate we pay to service the debt will be much less.
Those dollars are enough to spend on infrastructure like schools, bridges, [and on] increased salaries [for] our teachers and public employees.
Third, there will be jobs for people who can handle a shovel and other skilled workers. The country wins threefold...
-- Mang Isko
* * *
I’m not into mining! The only one who will benefit this is Jose Pidal, not Juan de la Cruz.
--Arnaldo Batoon
* * *
Many countries prospered through their mining industry.
The mining industry, properly managed and regulated, will bring economic benefits to the Filipino people in general and to our country.
However, the culture of corruption in our country has endangered not only the environment but [also] our culture and mindset.
Corruption will endanger the mining industry and will bring immeasurable catastrophe to the environment and the Filipino people...
-- Benny C. Cenzon
* * *
How can the revitalization of the mining industry rescue our dying economy in concrete terms?
It is not enough to estimate our gains from the liberalization of the mining industry.
It is not fair [either] to allow other countries to take the lion’s share of our country’s wealth.
It is better if the government promotes and subsidizes the operations of local mining firms. In that case we are sure to head [down] the road to national industrialization and genuine economic restoration.
-- Nikki Rose Pili
* * *
Looking at the potential and magnitude of the resources, I believe we should revive the mining industry.
First, the one trillion US dollars is a gift from God which all of us need to … alleviate the poverty of our people. Not doing this is a total disregard of God's will.
Having said that, what we [must] do is develop a safe and reasonable mechanism, parallel with the exploitation of these resources, [to] ensure the protection of our environment. We also need to see to it that the government shares are protected … also of paramount importance.
-- Ben Guerra
* * *
There are two important end-results that drive the opposing sides of this debate about mining in our country.
Those in favor of mining will argue for the overall economic effect of the venture, thus saving this country from bankruptcy. Those who oppose it say it will not just ruin the landscape but also displace whole communities along its path, plus contribute to massive pollution and destruction of areas [with] high potential for tourism.
The economic benefits of mining are really meaningless unless the common "tao" sees the reward to himself and his family. Is it really worth destroying our natural environment for this? Is it really the solution to our large-scale poverty?
There are two countries in the world the Filipinos can look at and learn from their mining experience. These are the tiny Pacific Island nation of Nauru and Australia.
Nauru exploited its land and benefited immensely from the mining boom there for a short time. It became the richest country in the Pacific until their mineral deposits ran out and now they are almost bankrupt again and have almost nothing to show for it.
Their land is so severely stripped that it has become one of the world's worst environmental disaster areas. No amount of money can give them back their land. They can't even rely on tourism for income, as it's now an ugly land of bare soil with nothing on it. The only people who benefited are the corrupt politicians and foreign mining companies now looking for their next mining victims.
No doubt they will promise a lot but once the poor country's resources are gone, so will they ... [I]n Australia it's another story -- this is a big country with lots of mineral resources. This is one of the few countries in the world that continually benefits from large-scale mining and people are benefiting from this. Money from the taxes from mining companies goes to first-class roads, hospitals, world-class universities, etc.
Mining is one of the biggest export earners of Australia. Land here is also being stripped bare but this is a really big country with lots of desert land, which is almost useless but good for mining. One thing missing here is a corrupt system. This country is rich because of mining.
-- Archie Serafica
* * *
The real treasure of the Philippines -- the richness of our culture, the beauty of our indigenous people and the richness of our biodiversity -- has been rarely mentioned in the arguments for mining. If we put an economic value to what we already have, do you think it will not surpass the "possibilities" of mining?
The real problem lies in the fact that people in this country, whether indigenous or not, are not really valued and this is why we see this government even encouraging modern-day slavery in our Filipino entertainers, nurses, and teachers.
-- Cornel Bongco
* * *
In my honest opinion, mining is OK in the Philippines as long as politics will not or never comes in! One of the many reasons as to why investors are avoiding the Philippines is due to red tape and "dirty politics"!
-- Jun Arevalo
* * *
[T]he Supreme Court has spoken … it's high time we support the decision. Why allow a few selfish people to benefit from "underground" mining when there could be a lot of needy people? The issue now is the "greater proportion."
-- Monsi Serrano
posted by Dante at 6:58 PM
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